Marie Kondo effect boosts Container Store's profits

Shares of the Container Store (TCS) are rallying 13% in premarket trading after reporting strong fourth-quarter earnings late Tuesday.

Sales leapt nearly 9% for the first three months of 2019 and same-store sales also jumped 8.5%. It also reported a profit of $16 million — a sharp turnaround from the $400,000 loss it posted for the same quarter a year ago.

The company attributed the strong numbers in part to the Netflix's show's impact.

CEO Melissa Reiff said the chain has had a "positive impact from the 'Marie Kondo effect' that is driving even more interest in our core category of Custom Closets and storage and organization."

6:28 a.m. ET, May 15, 2019

Markets might be starting to stabilize

From CNN Business' Julia Horowitz

The trade fears that have gripped Asian markets in recent days appear to be tapering off.

What to expect on retail today

The retail industry is turning into a tale of the haves and the have-nots. While Walmart (WMT), Amazon (AMZN) and Kohl's (KSS) have adapted well to quickly changing consumer demands, others like JCPenney (JCP) and Sears (SHLDQ) are falling short.

People are still buying stuff, though — they're just buying in different ways and at different places.

6:24 a.m. ET, May 15, 2019

New economic data puts pressure on China

From CNN Business' Michelle Toh

China's vast economy showed new signs of weakness last month, raising the likelihood of increased government efforts to stimulate growth as its trade war with the US escalates.

Key indicators of economic activity, like industrial output and retail sales, cooled significantly last month, according to government figures released Wednesday.

Chinese industrial output grew 5.4% in April compared to the previous year, significantly lower than the 6.2% to 6.5% analysts had expected.

It was also a sharp dip from last month, when growth came in at 8.5%.

The trade war remains one of the biggest risks to China's economy, with tariffs expected to hurt economic growth on both sides.

And if tensions continue to escalate, experts say that will only put more pressure on Beijing.

Katrina Ell, an economist at Moody's Analytics, said:

The need for further stimulus is amplified by the trade war escalating last week ... The task before Beijing to stabilize domestic demand amidst slower global growth and a festering trade war is not easy."